xciv Proceedings. 



Committee. — F.C.Bayaed, L.L.M. ; Henry S. Cowdell; Thomas 

 Gushing, F.R.A.S. ; James Epps, jun., F.L.S. ; Walter M. 

 Gibson; George J. Hinde, Ph.D., F.G.S. ; Edward Loyett; 

 Edward Straker ; Edward B. Sturge. 

 Hon. Secretary. — William Low Sarjeant. 

 The retiring President, Mr. Eaton, delivered an Address, at 

 the conclusion of which a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to 

 him and to the other ofl&cers of the Club for their services 

 during the past year. 



Mr. Eaton then vacated the chair in favour of Dr. Thompson. 



The President's Address. 



Gentlemen, — It is with much satisfaction that I am able to 

 announce that the Club has increased in numbers since the last 

 anniversary, and has maintained its influence and position as 

 one of the chief local natural history societies of the day. The 

 roll of the Club on the 31st of December included 269 members, 

 7 honorary members, and 2 associates ; altogether 278. The 

 elections in the twelve months comprised 30 ordinary members 

 and 1 honorary member. Our losses from all causes have 

 reached 27 members, of whom 3 have been removed by the hand 

 of death, namely, Mr. J. S. Crowley, Mr. H. Lee, and Mr. I. J. 

 Witt, jun. Chief among these was Mr. Henry Lee, the founder 

 of the Club, and its first President, who died on the 31st of 

 October, at Brixton, after a brief illness. Mr. Lee was well 

 known to the zoological world as the successor of Mr. J. K. 

 Lord, in 1872, to the position of naturalist to the Brighton 

 Aquarium. In this capacity he carried out several investigations 

 into the habits of marine animals, experimenting on whitebait, 

 smelts, and herrings. He was a close friend of the late 

 Mr. Frank Buckland, whose methods and views he adopted, and 

 was a frequent contributor to ' Land and Water.' It has been 

 observed by a member of this Club, who knew him well, that 

 it was entirely owing to the unflagging zeal and the tact 

 displayed by him, as well as to his widespread influence in the 

 scientific world, that the Club secured a solid foundation ; that 

 few except his most intimate friends ever knew the amount of 

 labour he undertook when the Club was originated ; and that 

 he entered into the scheme with his whole heart from the very 

 first, and for months worked almost incessantly for its further- 

 ance. Mr. Lee had not resided in Croydon for several years, so 

 that to many of the members he could only have been known 

 by name, and as one of the Vice-Presidents. To perpetuate 

 his memory it has been resolved by the Committee to suspend 

 an enlarged photographic hkeness of him on the wall of this 

 room, and his portrait will also appear as a frontispiece to the 



